STORY: Syria, Iran warn against U.S. military buildup along Syrian-Iraqi border
DATELINE: Aug. 31, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:11
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: POLITICS/MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of meeting between Syrian FM Faisal Mekdad and Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FAISAL MEKDAD, Syrian Foreign Minister
3. various of the conference
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): FAISAL MEKDAD, Syrian Foreign Minister
5. various of the conference
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Persian): HUSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, Iranian Foreign Minister

STORYLINE:

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian jointly warned on Wednesday the United States against its reported military buildup along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
   
In a press conference held in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the two ministers expressed concerns over the apparent U.S. efforts to amass forces and allied rebel groups along the Syrian-Iraqi border, from the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah to the southeastern region near the U.S. base in al-Tanf.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): FAISAL MEKDAD, Syrian Foreign Minister
"The American political circles' return to operating outside the framework of international legitimacy, along with their aggression against nations and actions in other parts of the world, demonstrates that the United States has become a lawless state, disregarding international humanitarian laws, rules, and the principles of the United Nations. Despite their intentions, the United States will realize that it is incapable of doing whatever it wants. In this case, if they truly intend to carry out what we hear in the media, they will face the resilience of Syria."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): FAISAL MEKDAD, Syrian Foreign Minister
"We have stood firm against terrorism and against the United States, which used to support terrorism. You know that aggression, terrorism, and economic sanctions are all different faces of the same coin. Therefore, these policies of the United States and its Western instruments are destined to fail if they engage in such globally and internationally prohibited actions, as they are unethical and do not align with international law."

Amir-Abdollahian echoed Mekdad's concerns and advised the U.S. to stop causing harm to the region.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Persian): HUSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, Iranian Foreign Minister
"The United States must cease harming the peoples of the region. We advise American soldiers to return to their homeland, and we also advise American leaders to leave the region and mind their own business. No party can hinder the historical connections between the peoples of the region. I believe that such practices do not align whatsoever with Western and American claims about human rights."

Syrian opposition activists recently reported that the United States plans to tighten its control over the Syrian-Iraqi border to curb Iranian influence in the region.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)